"Watching the Ministry" is based on Colossians 4:17, "Keep watching the ministry which you accepted ... that you fulfill it." This Blog is used to present information related to the beliefs and activities of Christian Witnesses of Jah: Christians who 1. bear witness to the biblical God "Jah" (Psalm 68:4) and 2. who accepte Jesus of Nazareth as the foretold "Messiah" from the writings of Moses and other ancient figures, and 3. who believe in treating others the way we want to be treated.

Related to this main or primary belief is our Acceptance of Jesus of Nazareth as the one foretold in the writings of Moses (Deuteronomy Chapter 18 [supported by pre-Christian textual evidence in 4QDeut= 4Q33, frags. 10-12, dated to the 2nd/1st cent. BCE]), the famous leader of the Exodus of ancient Israel from Egypt, where Moses was raised (Exodus 2:10) and where he therefore likely first learned about much of the ancient world. We believe Moses was later visited by Jah (Exodus 3:1-4:17) and that after the Exodus Moses was given laws which, even according to the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (1st century BCE) Moses referred "to the god who is invoked as Iao [IAO]" (Library of History 1.94.2).

In English, "IAO" is the same as "Jaho(h)" in "Jaho(h)-ah." The "-ah" is added for reasons related to other forms of the name, as well as evidence derived from the divine name's use in biblical and in other ancient writings and from early writers about biblical books. For more information on "IAO" and on the English forms "Jaho(h)" and "Jaho(h)-ah," see my article, "'Christian' Witnesses of Jah, Jaho(h)-ah God," Watching the Ministry (April 2, 2011). [June 4, 2012, UPDATE: See also my recent, "Why No 'Y' in Forms of the Divine Name in English?"Watching the Ministry (June 3, 2012).]

Jesus, we believe, came to earth because he was "sent forth" (John 7:16; 8:16) by the same God who sent Moses to Pharaoh, only Jesus came from the spirit realm of heaven down to the earth to live as a real human being, and to fulfill the Law of Moses (John 5:46; 6:38; 8:23, 26-27). We believe Jesus did this to Jah's satisfaction all the way through to a torturous but (barely) bearable death. We believe Jesus was then raised up to life again as a spirit being with God-given authority over "all things," until "all things" are restored as Jah intends them to be.--Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, 45; Revelation 21-1-4; 22:1-5.

While we respect others, Christian and non-Christian, who disagree with us, we believe because of good reasons we have found that the ultimate purpose of Jesus' descension from heaven and his death on the earth as a human was to give Jah praise through his obedience and sacrifice, and to show us how to live, and how to die, and that is by Treating people the way we would want to be treated by others in the same or in similar circumstances or conditions.--Matthew 22:35-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28; Romans 13:8-10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8.

For these reasons, you will find on the CWJ Forum "boards" where you can participate in a number of discussions related in some way to the above Three Things, including the progressive, online edition of my translations of The Great Message and Related Texts. If you have something you wish to share or to ask about the Three Things, the Great Message, related texts or issues, or questions about how you can work with us and help others in need, you are welcome to join!

Be sure to read the "Participating in this Forum" board first, so you understand the best ways to be a member of the Forum and to get the most out of your participation rather than feel overwhelmed with information or with obligations to respond to more than for which you may have time. It is meant to be a place of joint learning and encouragement, but it is also open to a large extent to the discussion of issues about many things and for questions from all people.

Soon, the Christian Witnesses of Jah web site will be ready, whereas now there is only a draft image which is not how the site home page will look once it is online. For now, in addition to the CWJ Forum, a good place to find more useful information related to the beliefs of Christian Witnesses of Jah is the Elihu Books Topical Index.